Liara's Ritual
by AmityN7
Summary: Liara returns to Earth two months after the Crucible fired to find out what has happened to Commander Shepard but Liara may wish she never returned after she discovers the truth.


Liara T'Soni sat anxiously in the hospital waiting room. It had been a mere 20 hours since the Normandy finally returned to Earth after the Catalyst event 2 months ago. And it had been 18 hours since Admiral Hackett had debriefed her and gave her an answer to a question she had been dreading every moment of the 2 months she spent on the isolated Normandy, "Where is Commander Shepard?"

So now Liara sat in the Hospital's waiting lounge trying to build up the courage to see Shepard. She knew that the moment she laid eyes on her there would be no more doubts no more questions what had happened to Shepard would be a reality, but it was a reality Liara was not sure she wanted to face.

_You owe this to her._

_ Don't you dare leave this hospital._

She stood up and took a deep inhale before heading down the hall that lead to the Commander's room. An Alliance guard stood watch outside Shepard's room, he shot to attention when he recognized the doctor and snapped a salute to her. Liara ignored him and stretched a shaking hand to the door handle. She stood frozen with an outstretched hand for a moment before she finally she opened it

Liara's eyes widened and she immediately shut them in horror. Tears streamed down her face almost instantly. The rhythmic beeps of Shepard's life support machines made Liara want to cover her ears or run away, anything to make the sad sight in front of her not real.

Commander Shepard lay motionless in the hospital cot, the right side of her face hid behind scores of bandages that covered the empty hole in her head that used to house one of her beautiful green eyes. Liara stumbled to her side, "Goddess…Shepard. Please no." the Asari sunk her head into Shepard's stiff body and wept.

...

It had been two months since the Alliance soldiers recovered the barely breathing Commander from the wreckage of the Crucible. Since then Shepard had been in a coma under protection of the Alliance navy. As the weeks went by most of the Normandy's crew came to visit and pay their respects to their wounded Commander, but Liara never left.

Weeks came and went and yet the Asari never left Shepard's room and every night it was the same.

"Glyph." Liara said with exhaustion in her voice and the blue info drone would spin in front of the doctors face and bounce with anticipation of the doctor's request.

"Yes Dr.T'Soni is there something new you wish for me to do?"

but the request was always the same.

"Play the song Glyph. " Liara said her voice shaking and straining to spit the words out of her cracked lips.

"Certainly Dr.T'Soni" the info drone said back in the loyal tone it spoke all it's words with.

The slow piano piece began to play, the very same piece she and Shepard had danced to in the Commander's apartment on the Citadel. Liara turned her tired eyes to Shepard's face hoping for any sign that it was getting through.

Liara had tried so many times and in so many ways but nothing seemed to have any effect. Tonight something was different Liara no longer believed she would ever see Shepard open her remaining eye; she had even begun to forget what her voice sounded like. But Liara could never forget the time she spent with the Commander aboard the Normandy it had been the best years of her life and she knew she would find no equal in the years ahead.

She remembered every moment she spent with Shepard but with each passing day she lost more and more hope that she would ever be with her again.

Liara then began the second part of her nightly ritual and cried, just like she had every time the song finished its final note. She thought back to what Shepard had told her that night on the Citadel

"Every day after" she had promised her.

The thought of losing Shepard filled the Doctor with rage and sorrow more so than it had in months. She had to wake her, had to end this nightmare once and for all.

"Play it again Glyph!" Liara said tearfully and the drone complied.

Liara placed her hand gently on Shepard's face.

"Please Shepard. Please come back to me. "

It had been six months of waiting. Six long months of tears and heartbreak but that night it all ended.

Shepard's green eye fluttered open for the first time in half a year and met the gaze of the weeping blue eyes of the Asari.

"Liara…" Shepard said wearily and Liara smiled for the first time since arriving on Earth.

The Doctor pulled herself in close to the Commander and planted a long and passionate kiss on Shepard's lips only separating to pull Shepard into a tight embrace. The Commander was confused and scared but she had never been happier to see Liara before in her life.

"I love you Shepard." Liara managed to say through her tears.

Shepard found tears streaming from her own eye as she responded, "I love you too."

THE END


End file.
